Excelsior native Cindy Barnett took this photo of her beloved dog Ruby while they were on a boat outing last summer.
Ruby, an American “bully” who’s fond of spending time on the water from the safety of the boat, does not share the same affinity for swimming, so she always has to wear her red lifejacket. Barnett took the photo when she saw how Ruby’s happy facial expression, relaxed body and lapping tongue summed up her own feelings of happiness about being able to spend the lovely afternoon on the lake. Barnett and Ruby were boating on Gideon’s Bay, Barnett’s bay of choice since before Ruby was born. In fact, the Barnett family has been taking their dogs for rides on this lake for the past 15 years.
“Gideon’s Bay has been our favorite, because it is so quiet and calm, and it is charming with all the inlets, which makes it good for exploring,” Barnett says.
Barnett captured this photo on her Canon 5d camera with a 24-105 lens. Although she is an amateur photographer, she has been taking classes at Minnetonka Center for the Arts for the past two years so she can understand all of the settings on her camera, as well as improve her compositions. She says photography is rewarding because she can capture different moments in the lives of the people—or dogs—around her from several perspectives.
Dog Days of Summer—Gideon’s Bay took second place in the Pets category of our Lens on Lake Minnetonka photo contest last year. Submit your own photos in August!
